Letter-opener



E. S. BJONERUD.

LETTER OPENER. APPLICATION FILED mus. 191a.

1,308,21 8. Patented July 1, 1919.

INVENTOR Ll? Earl 5- Bjonerud WITNESSES THE COLUMBIA PLANOCKRAPH 10.. WASHINGTON, D. C.

ATTORN EY EARL s. LBJONERUD, or cAitiv An, IOWA.

LETTER-OPENER.

. Application filed. January 23, 1918. Serial No. 213,378.

To (all whom it may concern: 1

Be it known that I, EARL S. BJONERUD, a citizen of the United States, residing at Galmar, in the county of Winneshick and State of Iowa, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Letter-Openers, of which the following is a specification. This invention relates to an improved'letter opener which may be connected with the edge portion of a desk and the principal ob ject ofthe invention is to providean improved type of letter engaging jaw and body portion and an improved type of cutting knife and bracket for mounting the cutting knife. I i i i Another object ofthe invention is to so construct the bracket for the cutting knife that it may be vertically adjusted to cause the cutting knife to enter the body portion the desired extent to cut the envelo as the envelop is drawn through the troug of the body portion between the jaws mounted therein.

Another object of the invention is to so construct this letter opener that the cutting blade may be removed when it is desired to sharpen the blade.

Another ob ect of the invention to so construct this letter opener that it will be simple in construction but very eliicient in operation and easy to assemble or take apart when necessary.

This invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein Figure 1 is a view showing the improved letter opener in side elevation,

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the improved letter opener,

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view through the improved letter opener, and

Fig. 4: is a perspective view of the blade carrying bracket with the blade in place.

The body portion or trough 10'has its inner wall provided with a flange 11 through which screws or other fasteners 12 may be passed to connect this body portion with the edge portion of the desk 13. The outer wall has one corner portion bent to provide a guiding lip 14% making it easy to insert a letter to be opened. The clamping jaws 15 which will be formed of resilient sheet metal are secured in the trough by the rivets or other fasteners 16 and when in use, the letter will be laced. between these jaws and then drawn longitndinally of the trough so that the blade 17 will engage the closure flap Specification of Letters Batent.

Patented July 1 1919.

of the letter envelop and cut the envelop between the clamping jaws 18 of the bracket 19, the jaws 18 being releasably connected with the bracket by the fastener screwsZO.

.The bracket 19 is provided with a stem 21 which extends upwardly and through the eye 22 carried by the outer wall of the trou h or body 10and has its upper end portion threaded to receive the adjusting and securlngnut 213 which nut when tightenedwlll draw the bracket upwardly against the action of the spring 24: and move the blade 17 into the bottom of the trough the desired distance. It will thus be seen that this blade can be held to extend into the trough the desired amount to properly engage'the envelop and sever the flap from the body portion 'of the envelop. When it is desired to sharpen the blade, it is simply necessary to release the screw 20 and the blade-can then be drawn outwardly from between the jaws 18. The nut 23 will of course, be removed to release the bracket,

thus permitting the letter within the en velop to be removed. This blade is secured thus detaching the bracket from the body portion of the letter opener and permitting the blade to be easily removed and then put back in place. Itwill thus be seen that there has been provided a letter opener which will be of simple construction and very efiicient in operation.

What is claimed is 1. A letter opener comprising a trough, gripping jaws in the trough in operative relation to an opening formed therein, a bracket connected withthe trough, and a cutting blade carried by the bracket and. extending into the trough through the opening thereof between the gripping jaws within the trough. j

.Q/{A letter opener comprising a trough, gripping jaws within the trough, a bracket carried by the trough, and a cutting blade carried by the bracket and extending into the trough between the gripping jaws.

3. A letter opener comprising a trough, gripping and guiding jaws within the trough, a bracket carried by the trough, and a cutting blade releasably connected with the bracket and extending into the trough between the jaws.

4. A letter opener comprising a body porrier and extending into the body portion.

5. A letter opener comprising a bodyportion, a bracket, an eye carried by the body portion, the bracket being provided with a stem extending through the eye, a spring element upon the stem engaging the eye to yieldably hold the bracket against upward movement, a fastener carried by the stem to engage the eye and move the bracket up-,

wardly when the fastener is tightened, and a cutting blade carried by the bracket and moving into and out of the trough as the bracket is vertically adjusted through the medium of the fastener.

6. A letter opener comprising a body, a bracket having a stem, an eye carried by the body with the stem extending through the eye, a springupon the stem engaging tion to the'opening in the bottom thereof,

an eye extending from the outer wall of the body, a bracket having a stem extending through the eye, resilient means about the stem and engaging the eye to yieldably hold the bracket against upward movement, a fastener adjustable upon the upper portion of the stem engaging the eye, gripping jaws carried by the bracket, and a blade between the gripping jaws of the bracket extending into the body through the opening in the bottom thereof in operative relation to the guiding jaws within the body.

8. it letter opener comprising a trough,

vguiding jaws in the trough, and a cutting knife extending above the bottom of the trough in operative relation to the guiding jaws.

9. A letter opener comprising a trough, a

carrier connected with the trough, and a entting blade carried by the carrier and extending into the trough above the bottom thereof.

Intestimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

EAR-L S. BJONERUD.

' Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C. 

